Frequency control system



A `lune 30, 1953 D, s, BOND 2,644,138

FREQUENCY CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9. 1949 ,a 7 .-...Ec

vgl'ORNEY Patented June 30, 1953 UNITED STATES 'PATENTQFFIC FREQUENQYTI'OL-SYSTEMjtlf ,y y

Radio Corporation of America, a

of Delaware corporation Application December 9, 1949, Serial No. 132,153

2 Claims.

This invention relates to frequency control systems, and more particularly to systems for -is injected into the circuit of the oscillator to be controlled. The characteristic of these oscillators, whereby a very distorted wave form is generated, is essential to the mechanism of control. This is undesirable where sinusoidal output is required. Likewise, the maximum frequency at which such a relaxation oscillator will function is limited at the present time to a few megacycles per second. Y

Other means involve the direct introduction of a sinusoidal reference voltage into the circuit of a controlled oscillator, which circuit includes f 2f control system for a controlled oscillator wherein the reference oscillator is frequency modulated, thereby enabling a controlled oscillator of much greater power to be similarly modulated.

Thefforegoing` and other objects will be best understood from l the' following description of some exemplications thereof, reference Vbeing had :to-the accompanying drawing, wherein: v

Fig. l is a block diagram illustrating a typica mode ofoperation of this invention; i

Fig. 2 is a simplified diagram of a balanced phase detector; and v l Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating another mode of operation of this invention. Y

The objects of this 'invention -are accomplished,A briefly, in'the following manner: By means of a balanced phase detector to which are applied, as inputs, the reference oscillator frequency and the controlled oscillator frequency, the output frequency of a controlled oscillator, for example `an ultra-high frequency or superhigh frequency oscillator, is maintained at exan inductance-capacitance frequency controlling circuit. This means has the disadvantages .that a Very appreciable amount of power must be derived from the reference oscillator, and that the system does not permit deliberate introduction of phase modulation to compensate for an equivalent amount of phase modulation introduced in some circuit coupled to the output of the controlled oscillator.

Still other means employ electromechanical servo systems for control, but these are limited in application by lack of sensitivity to frequency differences, failure to control the relative phase of the two signals once synchronism has been established, or by apparatus complexity.

In several of the aforementioned types of frequency-control systems, control is not established unless the two oscillators are initially nearly synchronous.

An object of this invention is to devise a novel system for synchronizing an ultra-high frequency or super-high frequency oscillator, such as a magnetron or a klystron, with a reference oscillator.

A further object is to devise an oscillator frequency control system wherein phase 'modulation can be deliberately introduced to compensate for undesired phase modulation generated in some circuit coupled to the output of the controlled oscillator. 1

A still further object is to provide aV frequency control system for a magnetron type of oscillator, by the action of which the phase relation between the signal from said oscillator and a signal of reference frequency is maintained fixed.

Yet another object is to devise a frequency actly the frequency vof'a reference oscillator and at a fixed and predetermined phase with `respect thereto. IThe reference oscillator may be frequency modulated by a modulating signal, there-.-

spurious phaser modulation. introduced by the super-high frequency exciter orthe power amplifier. lNow referringto Fig. 1, controlled oscillator I operating at a'mean frequency fe has a portion ofits output applied by path 3 to a balanced phase detector 5. The main `portion lof the output of 'oscillator l is applied to a suitable transmitting lantenna 6 which is coupled to path 3. Reference oscillator 1, operating at a mean frequency fr, has its outputsimilarly applied by path'9' to phase detector 5. Output signals from detector `5 are fed by connection 24 through a low` pass lter 22 and thence bypath Il to a frequency vcontrol means y l0, which in turn is connected by connectionv l5 to appropriate input terminals of.

oscillator l. -v

Oscillator I may be a magnetron, as indicated. As is well-known tothose skilledr in the art, such :a magnetron may consist of a centrally-located cathode surrounded bya pluralityfof anode segments which formcavity resonators, a' ymagnetic field being provided in a direction substantially normal to the direction of electron flow between cathode and anode segments, lthereby exciting the resonators 'to producean alternating electric field within said resonators. y Fornfrequency congrid is preferably mounted near this nadditional cathode, to vary the stream of electrons therefrom, thus varying the frequency of operation of the magnetron, in vaccordance-with theprinciples disclosed in the copending Smith application, Serial No. 563,732, filed .November 16, 1944,`

now abandoned. The voltage or potential on the grid therefore controls `the frequency of operation of the magnetron; such grid is coupled to the aforementionedinput terminals of oscillator I. Therefore, voltages or potentials applied to such input terminals control the ultra-high frequency -or super-high frequency magnetron output. InY this case, frequency control I may be a direct metallic connection or may be a suitable vacuum tube amplifier. magnetron I having a rather high vnominal outputV frequency), reference oscillator 1 consists nof a Ysuitable crystal oscillator the output of which is passed through frequency multipliers before reaching path 9.

Although the filter unit 22 has been described as being low pass, it is desired to be made clear `that the term low Yis only relative, and that such filter is low pass only when referred to the output frequency of oscillator I. Actually, unit 22 faithfully transmits all frequencies from Azero up .to a video frequency such as two or three megacycles.

The method .of operation of .the system of Fig. l for automatic frequency and phase control of the mean frequency of oscillator I can best be described by assuming first that synchronism has already .been established. The inputs `to detector 5 from oscillators I and 1, while of the same frequency, may have a phase difference The behavior of detector 5 .may well be studied by reference to Fig. 2, in which a more or less conventional circuit comprising two rectfiers I1V and I9 is connected to input circuits y8 and I2 ofV a push-pull and a pushpush or single-.ended type, respectively. Rectifiers 'I1'and I9 are illustrative of any suitable rectification devices, such as those .of the copper oxide type, vacuum tube diodes, crystal ,rectiers etc. Transformer I3 is assumed ideal so that the voltage e2 across lterminals I4 V.and .2.0 thereof due to er is equal to this .lattervoltage in magnitude and phase. Then, if e2 and ec differ in phase by ninety degrees, the direct voltage Vemit across terminals 'I6 and I8 will be zero. .In a vtypical case', for other values of voltage 'cout Will vary in .magnitude approximately vas cos qi. Thus, referring :to Fig. vl .once again, it will be 'seen `that there is no voltage applied by connection I'5 kto the" input terminals of oscillator 'Ijif oscillators I and V1 are in vsynchronism and their phase difference qi is ninety degrees. If, how, the phase .difference qb changes from this value, there will be a direct-current output from -5 acting via 22 to cause the frequency control I0 to develop a lvoltage such as to return the phase of the output of controlled Voscillator I substantially to its initial value in a .manner to bekdescribed more indetail hereinafter.

If the phase difference qa increases with time, there will be the equivalent of a frequency difference between fc and fr, the controlled and reference frequencies, respectively. The phase detector 5 acts to produce an increasing output 'In most cases (the at 24 as p begins to depart from ninety degrees, and the frequency control means l0 acts to restore the phase of I to the value required for stability. For small frequency differences, this analysis shows that the arrangement of Fig. 1

yfactsV to bring the two oscillators I and 1 into synchronism, and furthermore (and this is a still more stringent condition) acts to maintain a substantially fixed phase relation between the output voltages of the two oscillators.

If oscilla-tors YI and 1 are operating at a difference frequency fe=fcfr when the frequency control means I0 is outof the picture, the output of detector 5 will include a component of frequency fd.' The low-pass lter 22 :has a lcut-01T frequency vsufici'ently high tov pass currents -of rfrequency fa :but vnot lthose of frequency je or fr. With fthe frequency control ymeans I0 operating normally, Y:the maximum value of fdvat whichthe system will control. so as to bringl oscillator I into synchronism with 1 is the maximum lock-'in deviation fmax. Obviously, '-fmasrwill not exceed the cut-off frequency of 22, but it `may be lower. As previously described, if fc=jr`but the phase difference is not ninety degrees, there will .be a direct voltage cour across the output terminals of the phase detector -5 of a polarity dependent upon the sense of the phase vdeparture from .ninety degrees.. Such a voltage acts von frequency control means I0 to momentarily so varythe .frequency of oscillator I as to bring the said phase departure (from .ninety degrees) to zero, .or in other words, to bring the two frequencies to a .relative phase difference of ninety degrees.

Similarly, if fc does not equal fr, difference frequency or beat frequency components (of Vfrequency fa) `are applied to the frequency control means I0 to vary the frequency of oscillator I :so as r:to bring the frequency fe of said oscillator to exactly fr.

Reference is made to Pomeroy Patent 2,288,025, dated June 30, 1942, and to the copendin-g Beard et al. application, Serial No. 56,974-, filed October 28, 1948, for a somewhat more detailed explanation of the operation of a phase detector of the type shown in Fig. 2. Said Beard et al. application ripened on February 5, 1952, into Patent #2,584,780.

The frequency control II) is suitable for the .control of the vparticular type oscillator employed in I. For exampleif oscillator I comprises a re- :flex klystron, a potential (direct or alternating) appliedto the repeller electrode thereof will Vary the frequency of oscillation. As is well-known, a :reex klystron is an electron discharge device having a .cathode and a repeller electrode located on opposite sides of a cavity resonator having apertures'therein through which electrons may be projected. Electrons vemitted from the cathode travel through the resonator toward the repeller electrode; the potential placed on the repeller causes these electrons to be repelled so that they travel vto and fro through the cavity resonator, setting up .electromagnetic Waves'or oscillations there-n. The cathode, repeller, and at least that portion of the resonator through which the electronspass, .are mounted in an evacuated envelope. The voltage at I I of Fig. l is of a type suitable for' control of an oscillator of this type, so that in this case Ill may consist of a conventional amplifier operating between the frequencies of zero .and Imax, or alternatively, may beentirely omitted.

If, on the other hand, oscillator I consists of a conventional triode oscillator employing one or more resonant circuits, unit II) would become a reactance-tube stage of well-known type.

There has been described previously the operation of the system of this invention for maintaining the rest or mean frequency of oscillator I exactly equal to that of reference oscillator l, and at a predetermined phase relation thereto. An audio or video input signal is applied to a reactance tube modulator 2 of more or less conventional type, in order to frequency modulate reference oscillator 1, to which modulator 2 is coupled. By the action of the arrangement of this invention, including phase detector 5, as previously described, controlled oscillator I is maintained at all times at a frequency equal to that of reference oscillator 1. Therefore, when oscillator 7 is frequency modulated, the oscillator I, which may be of much greater power than oscillator 'I, is locked-in to oscillator 'I, or is caused to be similarly frequency modulated to follow the frequency variations or modulations of oscillator l.

The apparatus of Fig. 1 may be located at a radio relaying station. When used as a radio relay link, the output is taken from oscillator I over path 3 which extends to transmitting antenna 5. The audio or video input to apparatus 2 is then derived from a suitable superheterodyne receiver which receives the incoming frequency modulated radio signal from the remote transmitter and detects the same. This detected signal controls the local oscillator I by the action described in the preceding paragraph, causing it to be frequency modulated in accordance with Vthe initial frequency modulation at the transmitting station. At the relaying station, the incoming carrier may be beaten to a new frequency before being applied to modulator 2 of oscillator l, in case it is desired to operate the controlled oscillator I at a mean frequency differing from that of the incoming frequency modulated carrier.

It is within the lscope of this invention to use a reflex klystron for the reference oscillator 1, in which case modulator 2 would be omitted, frequency modulation of the klystron being produced by modulation of the klystron repeller voltage. Also, other alternatives are possible.

Now referring to Fig. 3, which represents an embodiment of the invention somewhat similar to Fig. l but slightly modified, a magnetron I, having frequency control means therein as disclosed in the aforementioned Smith application, is amplitude modulated by a video input signal and serves as an exciter for a modulated power lamplifier 4, such as a modulated tetrode power amplifier of a television transmitter. The video input signal may be, for example, a television video signal derived from suitable apparatus at the television transmitting station. The output of ampliiier 4 is preferably connected to a suitable utilization device, such as a transmitting antenna 6, as well as being coupled to phase detector 5 as one of the inputs thereof. The other connections in Fig. 3 are the same as previously explained in connection with Fig. 1.

Spurious phase modulation may be introduce in either magnetron I or power amplier 4, this modulation being introduced due to the inherent operation of magnetron I when it is amplitude modulated, or being introduced in amplifier 4 because of some other effect.

It is desirable to render the output at antenna 6 free of such spurious modulation. This can be effected by the system of this invention, while at the same time effecting control of the mean frequency of exciter I, by introducing the Output signal of amplifier 4 into the phase detector 5 as one of the inputs thereof, in the manner already described. Phase modulation appears at the output of detector 5, and is thereby introduced into the controlled exciter or oscillator I itself (due to the circuit action described previously), in such a polarity and magnitude as to neutralize substantially all the spurious modulation introduced into the system. This action is due to the fact that the phase detector 5 produces a direct Voltage output whenever the relative phase of oscillator 'I and 'oscillator I is not at the fixed predetermined value; the varying-phase relation or phase modulation therefore produces an effect in such direct voltage output, which effect is applied to controlled oscillator I to correct the phase of the output thereof accordingly.

It may be seen, from the foregoing description of this invention, that the improvements in frequency stability herein described are analogous to those found in amplitude modulation amplifiers wherein negative feedback is employed. A study of the present systems will show that herein there is a similar feedback loop, although, of course, the operation is quite different.

What I claimto be my invention is:

1. A modulation system, comprising a controllable modulated exciter, a power amplifier coupled to the output of said exciter, spurious phase modulation being introduced into the signal passing through the exciter and amplifier, a stable reference oscillator, means for mixing the outputs of said amplifier and said oscillator and for producing therefrom voltages responsive to relative phases thereof differing from a predetermined relative phase, and means for applying said produced voltages to said controllable exciter to control the output frequency thereof tol substantially neutralize said spurious phase modulation.

2. A modulation system comprising a controllable modulated exciter, voltage responsive means operative to control the output frequency of said exciter, a power amplifier coupled to the output of said exciter, spurious phase modulation being introduced into the signal passing through the exciter and amplifier, a stable reference oscillator, a balanced detector circuit including a pair of rectiers, means connecting the output of said oscillator cophasally tov said rectifiers, means connecting the output of said amplifier lantiphasally to said rectifiers, whereby the outputs of said amplifier and said oscillator are mixed in said circuit to produce in the output thereof voltages responsive to relative phases thereof differing froma predetermined relative phase, and means for applying said produced voltages to said voltage-responsive means` to control the output frequency of'saidV controllable exciter to substantially neutralize said spurious phase modulation.

DONALD S. BOND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,289,041 Roberts July 7, 1942 2,377,326 Crosby June 5, 1945 2,455,393 Varian Dec. 7, 1948 2,464,818 Learned Mar. 22, 1949 2,474,278 Ranger June 28, 1949 g 2,490,007 Peters Nov. 29, 1949 2,567,286 Hugenholtz Sept. 11, 1951 

